SMME NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE

Durban hosts premium business exhibition
innovative products and services.
It will be headlined by influential business
people and prominent celebrities who
will share their expertise on business
development and the opportunities
available for emerging businesses to tap
into the mainstream economy.
As part of the City’s celebration of the
growth and success of the Durban
Business Fair, the City has a series of
activities in place to equip businessmen
and women with the appropriate skills
to grow and sustain their businesses.
One way this will be achieved is through
networking with established businesses
working in a similar field as well as
creating linkages with various business
sectors and potential buyers.
Attendees will be treated to a number of
empowerment activities planned to help
them gain valuable insight into business
to enable them to access global markets.
Some of the exciting features to look out
for include the:
Business Indaba and empowerment
workshops:
The two-day conference, will run from
18-19 September and will offer an
opportunity for businesses, particularly
SMMEs, to share ideas to ensure they
remain an active part of the economy.
The conference will center its discussions
around radical agrarian socio-economic
transformation, radical economic
transformation opportunities focusing
on capital projects and localisation and
industrialisation. It will feature inspiring
business influencers who will share their
expertise and life experiences with local
entrepreneurs on the latest changes
occurring within various business sectors.
Some of the speakers include Rajen Reddy,
CEO of KZN Oils ; Clive Manci, founding
CEO of OTEO Investments holdings;
Afika Makhangala and Andile Ngcobo.
Women Economic Empowerment:
This conference will focus more on
raising the profile of women in business
by creating opportunities and facing
challenges while providing information
on business support, networking, as
well as finance-sharing of experiences
to aspire and celebrate the success of
women. Keynote speakers of the esteemed
conference include Elinor Sisulu, a human
rights activist and award winning author
as well as Connie Ferguson, an acclaimed
actress and media mogul. The conference
will comprise of panel discussions under
the theme: “She Builds, She Leads, She
Inspires” – led by Londi Ngcobo, one of
the youngest female ship navigators in
South Africa.
Film Making Master Class:
This exciting activity seeks to empower
aspiring filmmakers and will be conducted
by Anant Singh, one of South Africa’s
most prominent film producers who has
produced more than 80 films since 1994.
The Master Class will also feature famous
actresses such as award-winning actress
turned TV/film producer Leleti Khumalo
Award; Thembi Nyandeni popularly
known as Mancwane on the TV series
Isibaya and Tony Kgoroge, an awardwinning
actor and director known for
his intriguing work on Blood Diamond,
Invictus and Hotel Rwanda.
Durban Fashion Fair:
The four-day event will feature a
number of exciting activities such
as empowerment seminars hosted
by industry experts who will inform
participants of the latest trends on
MEC lauds manufacturing
sector at Indaba
SMME
3
September 2018 NEWS
beauty, fashion and style. There will also
be a panel discussion held on Friday, 21
September where top panellists within
the fashion industry will discuss various
topics relating to the “Business of fashion”
and “Building a brand in the fashion
industry”. This panel discussion will be
hosted by TV and radio personality Anele
Mdoda.
Music Production Master Class:
An interactive session with Lindelani
Mkhize, an award-winning producer and
founder of successful gospel group Joyous
Celebration, will be held where he will
unpack the music production business.
Business Exhibition and Techzone:
Taking place from 21-24 September, this
platform will provide exhibitors with the
opportunity to gain invaluable exposure
and potential business opportunities. It
also provides networking opportunities
for entrepreneurs to market their business
and attract potential buyers. For the first
time this year, the Exhibition will feature
a street market which will provide an
opportunity to street vendors to showcase
their offering. Also on the line-up is a
diverse group of local celebrity chefs who
will demonstrate as well as prepare their
specialty dishes.
For more information visit our Facebook
page: @Durban Business Fair; Twitter: @
DBNBusinessFair or Instagram: Durban_
Business_Fair
Members of the media are invited to
attend the Durban Business Fair. For more
information and to RSVP, contact Sane
Shandu on 031 311 4806 or 072 572 8658
or email:sanelisiwe.shandu@durban.gov.
za.
Minister launches
Labour Activation
Projects in Durban
Proud beneficiaries of the Aviation and Pilot Training
Oyewo-Umoh Adetola Elizabeth
The Department of Labour in
partnership with Unemployment
Insurance Fund (UIF ) and the Dr
John Langalibalele Dube Institute
launched the training projects
on aviation and pilot, Maritime
commercial and organic cotton
Continues on page 4
Marvellous Zondi
The KwaZulu-Natal Manufacturing Indaba
took centre stage at the Durban ICC on
22 August 2018. The event was aimed at
assembling provincial manufacturers and
businesses to explore growth opportunities,
discover the latest manufacturing incentives
and trends, and provided a platform for
networking and collaboration among the
sector’s key stakeholders.
As part of the day’s proceedings, industry
experts also got the opportunity to impart
their knowledge and expertise with the
objectives of unpacking challenges and
exploring solutions for growth across the
manufacturing sector. Included in the
symposium’s agenda were interactive plenary
sessions as well as breakaway debate forums
designed to encourage active participation at
this revered event.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic
Development, Tourism and Environmental
Affairs, Sihle Zikalala delivered the keynote
address to open the gathering and lauded
the manufacturing sector for contributing to
economic growth in the province as well as
being a major role player in job creation.
Zikalala also spoke about how changes in
trade, technology, organisation of production
and product demand have all affected the
progress of South African manufacturing
operations.
“We are living through the Fourth Industrial
Revolution, a wave of new technologies that
are emerging and affecting our lives in many
new ways, creating entirely new capabilities
for people and machines. Global trends
show an increase in disruptive markets that
are changing traditional markets as we have
known them,” Zikalala said.
The MEC also emphasised the need to
commit to fostering growth of the economy’s
MEC Sihle Zikalala delivering keynote
address at the Manufacturing Indaba
middle-income population, stating that in
most emerging markets like India, China and
Brazil, development in the middle-income
population has continued to contribute
significantly to economic growth.
Stavros Nicolaou, a Senior Executive for
Aspen Pharmacare was also one of the
leading speakers at the conference. Nicolaou
highlighted that manufacturing operations
should be at the crux of South Africa’s
economic policy. He added that both
manufacturing and industrialisation play
a critical role in the investment campaign
that Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African
President, has personally initiated. The
Aspen Pharmacare executive also maintained
that there needs to be a societal change in
South Africa in which we buy locally. “Let’s
export products and keep the jobs local,” said
Nicolaou.